Bitter Sugar
by QueenOfTheRevue
Summary: After a series of unfortunate events, Princess Bubblegum is forced out of the Candy Kingdom by her brother in an arranged marriage to the most popular warrior of the Kingdom of Nightos- Marceline Abadeer. Learning her way around a new unfamiliar kingdom with a new spouse leads to new emotions, mysteries, and other adventures. Bubbline/SugarlessGum/MRATING
1. Prologue

_Author's Note_: Welcome to my newest attempt at fanfiction. Yes, it's another Bubbline. Yes, it is a chaptered story this time! I'm actually taking a lot of care to plan this out and put a lot of effort into it and the plot! Please let me know what you think, and I will work to get the next chapter up soon. Thank you for reading and commenting, I love you!

Random Note: I've made up a lot of stuff for this, and kind of imagine everyone to be a bit more humanoid than in the original show. If you could roll with it, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

**Prologue**

* * *

Marceline pushed open the heavy door with ease entering into the library that doubled as a personal study. Hunson Abadeer, King of Nightos, scribbled furiously onto the paper in front of him. His blue-grey skin fell loosely around the contours of his body, making him look like a deflated balloon. Marceline's adoptive father had been the King of Nightos for almost five decades now, one of the longest reigns in history. She could tell, however, that his reign would soon be coming to an end.

"Ahem," Marceline cleared her throat when the man failed to notice her presence.

Hunson's yellow eyes flitted up to view his visitor. "Ah, Marceline. Please sit down."

She sat silently, crossing her right leg over her left and resting her hands on her knees. After a few more seconds, Hunson tossed his feathered pen onto the desk. "I've been in contact with the newly crowned king of the Candy Kingdom. They desire a treaty."

Marceline raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit… out of no where."

Hunson grinned mischievously before sipping his cup of wine. "Ahh… Yes, well. It seems they desire military support from us in the case of an attack from the Ice Kingdom."

"Isn't the Candy Kingdom in a union-bound treaty with the Flame Kingdom for such a thing?" Marceline asked, dubious. Newly-crowned kings demanding treaties were always suspicious… especially when they were demanding such things of Nightos, the most unpopular kingdom in the Land of Ooo.

"You know as well as anyone that Ice and Flame merely cancel one another out. They'd be at an eternal standstill. What was all that military training for, if you can't even remember that?" Hunson licked the end of his pen in disappointment before signing another paper.

"Of course, sire," Marceline lowered her eyes. She attempted to revert the subject. "So you are in talks with the Candy Kingdom concerning a treaty."

"Yes," he looked up from his papers again. "Once the treaty is enacted, Nightos will receive well-increased import and export rights, as well as better deals on things like the produce we need for our people. The one area our great country has always had difficulty in is our international relationships. This is a huge opportunity."

Marceline merely nodded. Hunson wouldn't have called her here just for this. She waited for the true purpose of the late-night summons.

"However," he finally interrupted the silence. "We need something a bit more permanent than a floppy piece of paper claiming we have a treaty. Something more physical… more visual for the people to fully comprehend and appreciate."

Marceline suddenly had a dark suspicion where this was headed.

"Candy King Gumball has offered us the hand of his sister, Bubblegum, for a treaty marriage. I want to suggest you as her fiancée."

Marceline didn't respond. She had expected something like this, and yet to have it presented so blatantly, like a careless detail that didn't matter, was somewhat… more difficult than she expected.

Hunson must have taken her silence as simple contemplation, as he continued unaffected. "I haven't sent the letter yet. There is no guarantee for your future, so you may as well have a say in it. Look at the pros," he began to list the reasons why she should accept.

"One- the increase in foreign relations will get you support from the merchant classes whose livelihoods depend on trade.

"Two- the increase in food, as well as decrease of prices, will gain you support from the lower classes.

"Three- since our chain of rule isn't hereditary in Nightos, you already know well that the rulers are expected to never procreate. You will never pose a 'threat' to the Royal Society, as you will be married to another woman.

"Four- being married will keep the Royal Society and Council from attempting to force you into a bad marriage later.

"Five- it is a marriage that will allow you to stay in Nightos.

"Six- … Well, you could do a lot worse than the Candy Kingdom Princess in terms of matches."

Marceline cleared her throat slowly. She would have to be careful in the way she phrased her next points, less she come across as trying to undermine Hunson's 'brilliant' plan. "What about the cons?" she asked conversationally. "It is much more difficult to sell a married image to the fanizens than a single one. It could hurt my public approval rating. Also… the Candy Princess is known for being headstrong and… independent. She may not be willing to cooperate with us to help our image. There's no guarantee she can be reasoned with."

Hunson smacked his hand onto the desk in front of him, a bit harder than was really necessary. "Marceline, to this point you have done very well in winning the people by charm and… whatever it is that you have. But if you want to have any hope of support for the Inheritance Ceremony, you need to start showing them your stability as a leader. Being in a stable, caring relationship is a good way to start. Especially when that relationship is accompanied by a treaty that grants so much good for the people."

"You believe this is the best course of action," Marceline stated.

"I believe," Hunson's stare bore into her eyes, "that from a tactical standpoint, it is the next best move for you. But it must be your decision. You are a free woman."

Marceline almost laughed aloud at the last statement. This was hardly a decision. This was all a part of Hunson's plan, and he was giving her the first option that didn't involve her marrying a daughter of one of the Royal Society families. It was his version of a kindness.

"You're sure the Candy Kingdom will not take offense to a political marriage, and not an union one?" she asked. A union marriage was made between people of the opposite sex, to help strengthen and extend blood lines. Political marriages were made between people of the same sex, in order to create a powerful international link without bloodlines being involved.

"The Candy King requested a political one himself," Hunson assured her. "It would seem he doesn't wish his sister to produce children that could return to challenge him to his throne in the future."

Marceline thought hurriedly. She could be signing a death sentence on her popularity, or she could be taking the first step towards a stronger image. The key, and yet unknown, factor was the Candy Princess. How would the Princess Bubblegum factor into all of this? Marceline glanced at her father and knew that there was no real choice here.

"Thank you father," she said hollowly. "I will accept the marriage with Princess Bubblegum."

Hunson beemed at her, obviously pleased with the outcome he had desired in the first place. "That's my girl."


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**I would like to take a moment and thank everyone who favorited/followed this story from just the prologue. I would also like to say "I love you thank you so much" to the people who commented. I really do appreciate your support.

I'm sorry it took a while to get chapter 1 up. I think the pattern I've fallen into is work on the chapter during the week, then type it up and post it on the weekend.

About this chapter... I tried really hard on this chapter but... I feel like maybe it was too much of an info-dump. If it's boring, I am really sorry. Please let me know what you think, and if you thought it was too long/boring I will work to make future chapters more interesting. I want to grow from my feedback. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoy the next part of Bitter Sugar.

**Bitter Sugar: Chapter 1**

* * *

Bubblegum stood in the middle of the royal meeting room, staring at her brother incredulously. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What did you say?"

"Have you grown deaf, sister?" Gumball sighed from behind his desk. He spoke slowly, as if to a child. "In exchange for the support of their military, Nightos has requested your hand in marriage to one of their Royal Society."

"I won't do it," Bubblegum stated.

Gumball glared up at her from his papers. "Yes. You will."

Bubblegum glared right back at her brother. "You cannot make me, and I will not."

Gumball's eyebrows shot up as if he hadn't a care in the world for his sister's arguments. "Well, I already replied that you agreed to the match this morning. So, if you don't want to risk offending the populace of Nightos by betraying the hand of their most popular warrior and possibly starting a war where they will surely destroy us… that is on you."

Bubblegum's jaw dropped in shock. "You WHAT? You didn't even ask or consult with me before replying? I'm not some pawn you can sell off for your own gain. Contact them again, and refuse the marriage immediately!"

Gumball sat back in his chair, looking down his nose at his sister. "I am king. You are nothing. You will do as you're told for the good of the people. You're always the one going on about our duty as the royal family to serve the populace."

"I was supposed to serve them by becoming Queen after Uncle passed away! He named me heir because you never wanted to rule. Now you usurp me, claiming hereditary right overpowers a successor designation, and try to ship me off to Nightos?" Bubblegum argued hotly.

"I've heard enough," Gumball said as he stood. "You will go to Nightos, you will marry this Marce…whatever her name is, you will represent our country there for the rest of your life, and you will do it… with a smile," he grinned at her as an example.

"…_Her_ name?" Bubblegum exclaimed. "You've sold me off to a _political_ marriage?"

Gumball looked his sister up and down, ignoring her question. "You will also lose some weight," he commented dryly. "I hear they're very critical of the Royal class there. Don't make a bad impression of our kingdom." Gumball turned on his heel and exited the room, smacking the door shut behind him in finality.

A political marriage? In Nightos? Where she would live out the rest of her life as the Candy Kingdom representative? Bubblegum's anger overgrew her senses for a brief moment as she grabbed the nearest inanimate object, a newly framed painting of Gumball, and tossed it to the floor quickly followed by as many books as she could grab off the shelves of the room.

She couldn't believe that Gumball, of all people, was doing this to her. While growing up, her brother had always expressed his anxiety and fear of ruling. He didn't understand the people, and lived in worry that he would do one wrong thing and turn the people against him. They had been in agreement when their uncle named her the next successor of the Candy Throne.

About three years ago, the Peppermint Advisory appeared, claiming to offer help in all things concerned with running a country. Gumball had been the only one to take them seriously, and he had changed during his time consulting them. Only once Uncle had become dreadfully ill did he suddenly announce his intent to take over as king after Uncle's death. While Bubblegum had been at her Uncle's side on his deathbed, Gumball had disappeared, only to be crowned king by "birthright" the same moment Uncle passed away.

Bubblegum's lawyers were still researching the issue of "birthright" versus being named heir by the former ruler, but the necessary resources in the library were mysteriously missing. This had all only transpired a mere two weeks ago, and now Gumball was already signing a treaty with Nightos, of all places. A treaty that just happened to involve shipping her off to some dark corner of the world, never to be heard from again. It wasn't a coincidence.

Leaving the meeting room in disrepair, Bubblegum stomped through the castle and back to her personal quarters. She was surprised to find her friends, Finn the King's Champion and Lady Rainicorn, already there. It seemed Gumball had already announced the engagement to his advisors and circle of nobility. Bubblegum had been the last to hear the news.

"Well, I guess everyone will be disappointed when I tell them it's not happening," Bubblegum insisted, smothering the urge to destroy the nearest inanimate object again. "I refuse. My place is here, with my own people."

Lady Rainicorn spoke gently, as she always did. "My lady… Jake is trying to reason with him now. While the entire court knows you would never willingly agree to leave your kingdom, Gumball has created a difficult situation by already agreeing to all the demands put forth by Nightos."

Bubblegum huffed, facing the window. "Well, at least I know I still have friends at court."

Finn cleared his throat before speaking. "PB… Jake pointed out that your denial would leave a rift with Nightos over a broken marriage contract. Gumball… he announced he's prepared to offer Nightos the Lemon Lands if it comes to making an apology."

Bubblegum turned to her friends, shocked for the second time that day. "Give away our lands? He can't do that! I built that city up from nothing for the orphans and refugees of the last war. He can't just start selling off boundaries to appease damaged egos. There won't be a kingdom left!"

"He can and he will," a grave voice announced from the doorway. Jake, Lady Rainicorn's husband who served with her as joint head of the international advisory, closed the door behind him. "Gumball knows that Nightos is overpopulated. He thinks they'll jump at the chance to acquire more land."

"He's just making empty threats to force me along with his stupid plan," Bubblegum kicked the couch.

"Yes, he is," Lady Rainicorn agreed. "Although I'm not sure they are so empty."

Jake stepped before Bubblegum. "Princess… I'm not convinced the former king's sudden loss of health was natural. If the Peppermint Advisory had anything to do with this, they will not hesitate to come after you next."

A collective gasp from the other members of the room seemed to echo off the walls. It was Finn who spoke first. "Jake… are you suggesting… the former king was murdered?"

"I can't prove it," Jake's shoulders sagged. "However, it is a strong possibility. Unfortunately, I believe that the safest place for you may actually be Nightos, Princess. For now."

"For now?" Bubblegum repeated.

Finn smacked his fist into his opposite palm. "I see. If we can find a way to remove Gumball from the throne before he produces an heir, you'll be next in line. Even if you're married to someone in Nightos, you'll have to return, as is your duty as a member of the royal family."

An odd silence spread through the room. Finally, Lady Rainicorn stepped forward to take Princess Bubblegum's hands in her own. "My lady… you are intelligent and discerning. You are fair and responsible. Take everything we have said into consideration, and think about it."

At that, Rainicorn motioned for Finn and Jake to follow her from the room, leaving Bubblegum alone to think. The pink princess paced her room in circles. She wasn't comfortable with leaving the fate of the Candy Kingdom in her brother's hands, not after everything he had done. There was no telling what kind of damage he could do before she returned… if she returned. Ending up dead, however, was a much more permanent fate than living as the foreign ambassador to Nightos.

Bubblegum stopped in front of her dresser, staring at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe she was about to make this decision. Her brows furrowed, angry at the injustice of it all. Glancing to the right, she reached forward and grabbed a piece of chocolate, chewing it furiously to spite her brother.

* * *

- 2 weeks later -

Gumball wasted no time in shipping the princess out of his country, accompanied by Rainicorn, Jake, five personal handmaidens and five personal guards trained by Finn to stay with her in Nightos. Rainicorn and Bubblegum sat opposite one another in the bumpy carriage.

"We've been traveling over a week and we still won't arrive until tomorrow or possibly the next day," Bubblegum complained. "The distance alone will make visiting and contact improbable. I doubt holospheres will even work this far apart."

Rainicorn smiled. "Jake and I will stay until after the wedding to help you settle in. I'm sorry your brother couldn't make it, Princess."

"Ha!" Bubblegum's face contorted with sarcasm. "Couldn't make it? Like that bastard would bother if he had all the time in the world. Do you know what he said when I went to tell him I agreed to the marriage? 'Yes sister,'" she deepened her voice, waddling her head in a poor imitation of her brother. " 'I know. I already made the decision for you, remember?'"

Rainicorn tactfully changed the subject. "At least you have the handmaidens and guards to stay with you indefinitely. They all volunteered for the job. Your people care about you."

"Rain…" Bubblegum became serious. "You need to keep an eye on the Peppermint Advisory. Gumball changed after they showed up. I've a notion they are mostly responsible for this political marriage of mine to Marceline Abadeer."

"The Abadeer family?" Rainicorn inquired. "Isn't that the current ruling family?"

"Yes, although it doesn't mean much in a country where rulers are decided by popularity and not blood or lineage…" Bubblegum grumbled, obviously put off by the barbaric traditions of Nightos. "I couldn't even find any decent research materials concerning Nightos in our library. Everything was about its founding thousands of years ago, nothing about current matters. The only thing I know about this Marceline is that people call her 'The Vampire Queen'. What a silly nickname."

"My lady," Rainicorn looked downtrodden. "There is a reason most of the countries in Ooo avoid Nightos. There's also a reason it's nicknamed the 'Sphere of Chaos'. I'm afraid that in our attempt to protect you from your brother, we may have thrown you into an equally dangerous situation."

"Tell me what you know," Bubblegum requested.

The rest of the journey was spent discussing the strange construction of politics and public opinion in Nightos. There were various levels of "classes"- the top most being the Royal Society. Rather than one family who ruled by succession, each family held one spot on a Royal Council that advised and supported the current ruler. The ruler, however, was elected through a competition called the Inheritence Ceremony. Every house put forth their best contestants that the lower classes, referred to as "fanizens", supported.

This was where the system got tricky and became difficult to understand for Bubblegum, no matter how Rainicorn tried to explain. The houses were rated by popularity, but their level of public approval was not necessarily judged on competency. Things like fashion, personality, how one acted in interviews, etc. were considered very important. There were even people whose entire job was to point out the negative aspects of the royalty to try to tear them down. One wrong move, even in one's personal life, could mean the end of a royal's "career", as it was called.

The current king had reigned for a long time, meaning he had managed to hold the public's favor. Supposedly much of his popularity had to do with his adopted children, twins originally from the royal Vampire clan. Bubblegum knew she was being married off to the older of the twins, Marceline. That, however, was the extent of her knowledge.

By the time they finally reached the outer lands of the Nightos capitol, Bubblegum's head was filled with as much information that she didn't truly understand as possible. As they made their way through the streets of the city, Bubblegum moved the curtains of the carriage window to look out.

"Shouldn't we… I don't know… wave?" Bubblegum asked. It's what she would do back home for her people.

"I'd rather not risk assassination on the first day in Nightos, my Lady," Rainicorn sounded tired. Obviously Jake had given her strict orders not to allow the Princess Bubblegum to do anything rash, including wave out the window.

Bubblegum continued her quite observation of the Nightos citizens lined up on the edges of the street. While the state of buildings and roads greatly improved the closer they got to the central area, where the Royal Society lived, Bubblegum found it particularly interesting that even the lowest classes did not seem particularly underfed or uncared for. The people were not attractive by any means; in fact most of them were decidedly unattractive sporting malformations or missing entire limbs.

"Why do the people look like this?" she asked, wondering if Rainicorn even had any idea.

"While it is regarded as a place of insanity, Nightos also has a policy to never turn away anyone looking for sanctum. You could call it a collection of outcasts from the other kingdoms," Rainicorn tugged the curtain a bit more tightly around her window.

"Doesn't that pose a lot of risk?" Bubblegum wondered aloud. "It seems the opportunity for foreign spies to infiltrate the capitol would be immense."

Rainicorn coughed a bit before answering. "The current king, Hunson Abadeer, has made a name for himself for his hazardously strict laws concerning illegal activity. One of his first acts as king was to go on a scourge throughout the kingdom of Nightos, rounding up any and all possible rebellious infidel. He is not known for his mercy."

Bubblegum could tell Rainicorn knew more details than she was admitting, but the multicolored woman obviously didn't want to discuss it further. They had been close friends her entire life, and Bubblegum suspected that Rainicorn was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her Princess there. Especially now that they were seeing it first hand.

Flickering lights caught her attention, making her pull the curtain open a bit wider. People holding large metal boxes were screaming towards the carriage, lights flashing from the tops of the devices. Rainicorn quickly returned the curtain to properly cover the entire window without comment.

"Were those cameras?" Bubblegum asked in surprise. Such technologies were severely regulated in the Candy Kingdom, only professional workers with the proper license could obtain such things.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking you are in the Candy Kingdom, Princess," was all Rainicorn said.

After what must have been a few hours, the carriage rolled through a great gateway decorated with stone inlay that looked suspiciously like giant bones. Bubblegum couldn't help but be critical of the poor taste. They passed even larger estates which she imagined to belong to each of the Royal families. Only when they approached an unnecessarily large staircase did the carriage pull to a stop along with the entirety of their caravan.

Jake appeared at their door, ushering them out of the carriage. Bubblegum would be happy to never ride in one again after this, her muscles were so sore.

"The entire Royal Society is waiting in the King's Hall to receive us," Jake informed them after speaking to a footman. "It's this way."

"Is it common for Nightos Royalty to force all of their guests to walk a giant flight of stairs before they will receive them?" Bubblegum griped, not bothering to keep her voice down despite the presence of guardsmen and women everywhere.

"We are to first be seen to our rooms to change. Please keep your comments to yourself until we are in a safe, private place my Lady," Rainicorn quietly chastised, following her husband up the stairs.

Bubblegum frowned before she stomped up the marble staircase after her friends, followed by the handmaidens and guards that had accompanied them. She could already tell this was the beginning of a very bad experience. She hoped said experience could contain itself to just today, and not the rest of her livelihood here.

Once they reached the top of the staircase they entered into another large pair of doors into what seemed to be a waiting room. Bubblegum wiped the sweat from her forehead, frowning at the damp stains and streaks of dust that appeared on her clothes. The sound of a door opening pulled everyone's attention to the exit.

An extremely pale, almost dead-looking, man stood- no, _floated_ there in the doorway. Black slacks were topped with a red jacket sporting gold buttons. His black hair was short, but bobbed around his pointy ears and bright red eyes. "Dignitaries of the Candy Kingdom," he said, bowing despite the lack of floor beneath his feet. "Welcome to Nightos. My name is Marshall Lee Abadeer, and it is my pleasure to receive you."

Bubblegum's brows furrowed. From the natural speed at which he spoke, it almost sounded as if he had just introduced himself as Marceline, Bubblegum's intended fiancée. This couldn't be true, as he was various obviously a man. There was only one solution.

"You must be the younger sibling," Bubblegum grinned a greeting, curtsying like Rainicorn had trained her. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

A smile twitched at the man's mouth, which the Princess now realized held sporting sharp fangs. Overall, he made a rather intimidating image. She could only imagine what his older sister must be like.

"No need for such formality," he assured her, waving a pale hand. "I do believe we should get to know one another very well, as you will be gracing our halls with your presence for… a while."

Bubblegum gave no reaction, and when the silence dragged out Jake jumped to the rescue. He quickly introduced himself and assured Marshall they were ready to be escorted to their rooms so they could change quickly. They wished to change quickly, in order to be received by the King of Nightos.

"Of course," Marshall nodded as he turned out the door again. "I'll have the footman escort you momentarily."

"Alright," Jake addressed the five handmaidens as soon as the door was closed. "Girls, can you get Bubblegum presentable in under a half hour? We shouldn't leave the King waiting for too long, despite having been traveling for a week. I think that-"

The door opened again, revealing a different footman from before. "The King will receive you now," he said, bowing at the waist.

"Receive us?" Jake and Rainicorn said at the same time, exchanging a look of confusion. "Aren't we to be taken to our rooms?"

"The King will receive you now," the man repeated himself.

"S-Surely he just wishes to greet us unofficially after our long travel," Jake stuttered, nervous hands fiddling with his dirty clothes.

Bubblegum followed the footman, Jake, and Rainicorn without comment. She had a suspicion something was afoot, but she knew voicing any worry would just increase Jake's discomfort. She noted the way Rainicorn placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder, allowing him to relax a bit.

It quickly became obvious that Jake's nerves had been well-deserved, as they approached a set of extremely large marble doors. The sounds of a large group of people talking and laughing, a soft tune playing in the background, and the clinking of glasses came into the hall. When the footman moved to open one of the doors, Bubblegum saw Jake and Rainicorn's faces turn white.

The door opened quickly, despite its massive size. Immediately, every person in the room turned to stare at them in the doorway.

"Announcing: The Candy Kingdom Delegation. Lead by Lord Jake and Lady Rainicorn, leaders of the International Advisory for the Candy King. Announcing: her Highness, Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum of the Candy Kingdom- sister to his Majesty, King Gumball of the Candy Kingdom," the footman announced at the top of his lungs.

Bubblegum felt her knees wobble. Over two hundred people, dressed in some of the finest clothing she had ever seen, were staring open-mouthed in their direction. Jake and Rainicorn had been lecturing her the entire trip on the importance of physical appearance in Nightos, as well as the necessity of a good first impression for the first peaceful contact between the two nations in centuries. Right now, they obviously met neither of those requirements.

The footman began walking straight into the hall, down the large maroon carpet that lead to the throne dais at the other end. Bubblegum nudged Jake in the back, snapping him out of his shocked stupor as he followed the footman. Bubblegum followed with her eyes trained on the floor, trying to convince herself it wasn't as bad of a situation as it seemed. The muffled laughter that began drifting through the hall at their entrance proved otherwise.

After being paraded in front of what was surely every last member of the Royal Society of Nightos, they arrived at the foot of the King Hunson's dais. Jake and Rainicorn both bowed to one knee, their palms held open in front of them. Bubblegum, also being royalty, stayed standing, but kept her eyes trained to the floor.

"Friends!" King Hunson boomed from above them. "Stand, stand, please!"

Once Jake and Rainicorn had stood, Bubblegum raised her gaze to the king above them. His skin was grey, but not as lifeless as his adopted son's had been, and hung around his body a bit too loosely. This did not seem to hinder his movement, as he clapped his hands together excitedly.

"We are relieved you are finally here! However… I thought you would have at least liked an hour or so to change…" he tilted his head in confusion.

An awkward silence filled the air. Jake glanced at Rainicorn, who gave the smallest shake of her head.

Seeming to understand the situation, the king turned to the footman who still kneeled. "Why have you brought them here and not to their rooms?"

The man didn't move as he answered. "I was ordered to present the Candy Kingdom delegation to your majesty post haste."

Hunson's friendly demeanor dropped instantly. "By whom?"

"By… by…" Bubblegum glanced at the man, seeing his face contort in confusion and possibly pain. She decided if there was ever a time to take a risk, it would be now.

"It's not a problem at all your Majesty," she spoke clearly, her voice carrying throughout the large room. She bobbed a curtsy when King Hunson turned his gaze on her. "We deemed it more important to present ourselves before you. Besides," she forced a smile and moved a bit so her dress would twirl around her ankles, "Surely you've heard the 'dusty traveler' look is the latest fashion?"

A horridly silent moment passed, and Bubblegum thought she had only made matters worse until King Hunson's friendly demeanor suddenly returned with a boisterous laugh. Bubblegum giggled politely, quickly followed by the rest of the hundreds of people around them. She only hoped they were laughing with her joke and not at her.

Once the tension had passed, Hunson and Jake began speaking together. Bubblegum allowed herself to relax the tiniest bit, hoping the crisis had been averted. She began to glance around, taking note of the impressive architecture. A flash nearby caught her attention, and she looked into the crowd to see one of the members of royalty trying to hide a smaller camera in their sleeve. Of course, no amount of joking could change the fact that a princess had entered a royal welcome in dirty, dusty traveling clothes.

Deciding to ignore them, Bubblegum looked back towards Jake and the King to see another person approaching them from the dais. A tall serious-looking woman floated down the stairs slowly, her waist-length black hair trailing after her. She was clad in a dark suit, the blouse a deep violet covered in gold buttons. A gold chain kept a ceremonial cloak secure around her shoulders. When Bubblegum looked into her face, she found the woman staring straight back at her. The red eyes' gaze was intense, making Bubblegum blink in surprise. There was no doubt who this person was.

"Ah, there you are," Hunson turned to the woman as she came to land next to him. "I'm sure this is who you've been dying to meet, eh?" he grinned at Bubblegum, who startled at being addressed. "This is my daughter, Marceline Abadeer of the Vampire clan, known as the Vampire Queen, and also… you're fiancée."

Marceline took three precise steps towards Bubblegum, her eyes never breaking contact. Standing so close to one another, Bubblegum found herself looking up slightly. Marceline suddenly broke their gaze, bowing to one knee with her right fist held to her left shoulder.

"Princess Bubblegum," she spoke smoothly, her voice assured and strong. She spoke no louder than necessary, and yet everyone in the room seemed to hang on her coming words. "I, Marceline Abadeer, welcome you to the humble country of Nightos. If you would accept, I would offer you the usage and protection of my house's name."

Marceline looked up at her again, raising her hand up as if expecting something. Bubblegum stared at the woman, caught in her gaze again. She didn't realize she was staring until her jumbled thoughts were interrupted by Jake clearing his throat.

Blushing a bit from embarrassment, Bubblegum took the offered hand and curtsied again. "I accept the offer, Marceline. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Marceline stood, her face still stoic. "The pleasure is mine."

"Well then," Hunson practically yelled as he smacked Jake on the shoulder. "How about we have a drink then, eh?"

Another flash appeared in the corner of Bubblegum's vision, making her frown. Were the pictures still really necessary? Surely they had already gotten enough embarrassing photos to make the rest of her life here a misery. She looked up to find Rainicorn, but was surprised to see Marceline glaring in the direction that the camera flash had come from.

"It's not a problem," Bubblegum said, making the woman look back at her. "Please don't worry."

Without reply, Marceline reached up and unclasped the chain around her neck causing the cloak to fall from her shoulders. With one fluid movement, she wrapped the material around Bubblegum's smaller shoulders. The dark velvet wrapped around her body completely hiding any sight of her poor clothing.

"Kovmir," she called, and a man Bubblegum hadn't noticed appeared at their side. "You and your men escort Princess Bubblegum and her delegation to their rooms safely."

The man bowed and summoned more men, all dressed in the same warrior's garment, to lead them from the hall. Marceline turned to Bubblegum one last time, taking her hand gently and raising it to her lips. A chill went down Bubblegum's spine at the kiss. The Vampire Queen's touch was cold.

"I would not have you ridiculed while under the protection of my name," Marceline informed her quietly. "Please rest and enjoy dinner. We will meet again tomorrow." She released Bubblegum's hand.

Unsure of how to respond, Bubblegum didn't move. Rainicorn tugged at her elbow, leading her away. Bubblegum glanced over her shoulder, noticing similarly dressed warriors taking the footman who had caused the debacle away. They exited the large hall much more quickly than they had entered, everyone taking a deep breath when they were finally away from the staring eyes of Nightos royalty.

Once the man named Kovmir had deposited them safely, he returned to his other duties. Jake flopped onto a large, plush couch with a giant sigh. "I must say Bubblegum," he said as if exhausted, "you may not think you have what it takes to handle international relations but you sure did save that situation just now."

"Yes," Lady Rainicorn smiled at her like a proud mother. "You handled yourself perfectly."

"Well, except for the part where you kept staring at Lady Marceline and forgot how to reply," Jake snickered.

Rainicorn smacked her husband on the head when Bubblegum frowned. "The Lady Marceline is quite interesting," the woman commented.

"Yes," Bubblegum said, staring across the room at a large painting on the wall. "There are many interesting things here. Like footmen who forget who gave them orders to 'accidentally' present foreign dignitaries to the king before allowing them to rest, and consequently make a spectacle. Also, like the royalty who, rather than hold themselves with dignity, laugh and take pictures of am embarrassed foreign emissary. And finally, as you mentioned, the Lady Marceline. It is rather interesting when my fiancée greets me for the first time by acting as if she needs to protect me from pictures, and have her own personal guard escort us to our rooms our very first night here."

"How do you know those were her personal guards?" Jake asked.

"The chain," Bubblegum shrugged the cloak she had received off of her shoulders and held the chain up for inspection. "The sigil, here at the end? It's the sign of Lady Marceline's personal house. The guards she spoke to held the sigil of her house, not of the castle. They are her personal guard, not the king's. They answer to her."

"I'm surprised you noticed such a thing," Jake mused.

Bubblegum sat back in her chair, her fingers playing over the soft fabric of the cloak. She didn't need anyone to ride in and save her from an embarrassing situation. If Marceline thought that Bubblegum was going to be a weak-willed wife, constantly needing support and protection, she would soon learn otherwise. And everything else that had happened only made Bubblegum more suspicious. She suspected their embarrassing introduction to the king and Royal Society had not be an accident. But who held to gain from causing the new Princess embarrassment?

"We will have to be more careful," Bubblegum said seriously. Jake nodded in agreement, while Lady Rainicorn stared at the floor despondently.


	3. Chapter 2

**Note**: Hello, everyone. I'll try to keep this short.

First, I apologize for not updating in so long. I've been simultaneously having a lot of medical problems as well as busy with work.

Second, I hope this chapter isn't too boring. I have the next few chapters planned, I just need to type them.

Third, thank you all so so so much for all your support and comments. I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this installment as well. Thank you for reading, I love you.

* * *

**Bitter Sugar Chapter 2**

An obnoxious tune sounded as multi-colored lights flew in circles around the holovision screen. They slowly merged together, shinning to create the words "Royal News" in the center of the image. Eventually, the words faded to reveal two people, a man and a woman, sitting behind a blue desk.

"Good morning, Nightos fanizens!" the woman cried gleefully with a wide smile. "And what a morning it is! Today is the wedding of our very own Marceline, the Vampire Queen, Abadeer! And to top it off, it's the first international marriage Nightos has seen in a few centuries!"

"That's right Barbara," the man chimed in with an even bigger grin. "Our Lady Marceline is pledging her life, love, and eternal bond to Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum of the Candy Kingdom. Although this union will bring prosperity and peace between the two countries, not to mention provide plenty of much needed resources to our fanizens, it seems this is not a happy day for everyone."

The image changed instantly, showing an extremely large group of people standing in all-black mourning outfits. Some of the spectators were actually crying.

Barbara's voice sounded over the image, "Yes, as you can see a large gathering of Lady Marceline's fans have gathered to mourn their Queen's new life."

The image changed to focus on one particular fan's face. "I'll still support Lady Marceline," she said as seriously as possible through her tears. "I'll just pretend that pink thing isn't there next to her."

A second fan appeared, much angrier than the last. "I don't know what's so special about this Bubblegum character. A princess who waltzes into a welcome banquet in her traveling clothes? Are you kidding me?"

A third and very heartfelt fan came on the screen. "Our Queen is doing this to protect and help us all. We can't turn our backs on her now. Not when she needs us the most through this difficult time."

The image returned to Barbara and her male counterpart, who spoke. "Yes. It's true that the new Princess Bubblegum arrived to her welcome banquet in her travel attire." A picture of Bubblegum standing in her dusty, dirty traveler's clothing appeared. "What was she thinking?"

"Well Steven," Barbara looked at the camera as if telling a joke, "You have to admit the dirty look definitely adds something to her image, right?"

"Either way, Lady Marceline has refused to comment on what happened. See what she did have to say, here…"

The image changed again, showing Marceline standing still amongst a group of paparazzi shoving microphones into her face.

"I know that everyone is excited to meet and get to know the new Princess," Marceline spoke calmly, as if she was not trapped in the middle of a mob. "However, I ask that you please take her feelings into consideration. She's only just arrived and is dealing with the stress of living in a new culture as well as an upcoming wedding. I humbly request that you please wait for any interviews or questions until she is ready."

The reporters began yelling over one another to get her attention to ask questions. "Marceline! Lady Marceline!" one man screamed a bit louder than the others. "What are your thoughts on your upcoming marriage to Lady Bubblegum, whom you've only just met? Have you spoken with her much since her arrival?"

"I've spoken with the Lady Bubblegum a few times at this point, although I've been rather busy with preparations for our wedding. When I was presented with the proposal of our union, my first thoughts were not hinged on the fact that we had never met. Rather, my initial concerns involved how this union could help the people of Nightos. I imagine it was much the same with Lady Bubblegum and her people in the Candy Kingdom, who are now our allies."

"How do you think this will affect your first night together as a married couple?" someone yelled from the back.

Marceline stared at the rude interviewer, causing an awkward silence to fall over the large group.

"Through our talks I can tell that Lady Bubblegum is extremely intelligent and amicable. I do not believe a lack of history between the two of us is any reason to expect we cannot work well together, or even be happy together, if that is what you are asking."

The image froze, shrinking down to a smaller picture in the top right of the screen as Barbara reappeared wiping a tear from her face.

"That's our Lady Marceline," she sniffed. "Always putting the fanizens well-being before her own."

"Now the real question everyone's asking," Steve paused dramatically, "what kind of wedding dress will Princess Bubblegum be wearing today?!"

"Let's just hope it doesn't involve any dirt this time!"

The two news anchors laughed together. The image and sounds from the holovision suddenly disappeared as Bubblegum threw the controller across the room with an angry yell.

"My lady!" Rainicorn chastised. "You mustn't allow this to upset you before the wedding! We barely have a few hours to finish preparing."

"I have half a mind to call the whole damn thing off!" Bubblegum announced.

"My lady, please. Do not say such things so loudly."

"How do you expect me to survive if I have to keep my mouth shut and prance around like a show pony to be judged for everything I do?" Bubblegum yelled at Rainicorn.

"I don't!" Rainicorn yelled back, breaking her composure for one of the first times Bubblegum could ever remember. "But I do expect you to control yourself with at least a minimal sense of decorum! Now sit down and allow your handmaidens to finish your hair!"

Bubblegum and Rainicorn stared at each other silently for a moment before Bubblegum looked at the floor, ashamed of her outburst. She knew that Rainicorn was only trying to help and support her through all this, and it was wrong to take out her frustration on the people who cared.

"I'm sorry," Bubblegum apologized to the handmaiden who began to brush her knee-length hair out for the third time that day.

"It's not a problem, your majesty," the girl grinned. "I like brushing your hair."

A sad smile crept on Bubblegum's face. She looked at Rainicorn, who sat on the couch in a relaxed, lady-like pose that made her look as if she hadn't just yelled at a royal princess.

"Has there been any word from Gumball?" Bubblegum asked, also returning to her normal composure.

"No," Rainicorn sniffed in the air, obviously annoyed. "You would think he'd at least be willing to offer congratulations." After a moment of silence, Rainicorn spoke softly, "I'm sorry you are having feelings of doubt, my lady."

"Oh no," Bubblegum tried to reassure her lifelong friend. "It's not particularly the wedding… it's a responsibility I have to bear. I just… I do not know what to make of this Marceline character."

When Rainicorn didn't respond, Bubblegum explained. "First she forced her cloak on me at that meeting without offering first. At the very least, I would like to keep my own sense of agency in this place. I'm not a pet.

"Then she did that interview we just watched, saying how much we have talked and seem to work well together. You know as well as I do that the reality is we've seen her all of once after that first time, and she didn't even approach me let alone speak to me. Now, she's asking the fanizens to 'give me space' like I can't take care of myself."

Rainicorn sighed. "She does sound a bit complicated…"

"It sounds as if she wants a wife that will listen to her orders, follow her around, and put on a show for these 'fanizens'."

"I'm sure your brother had a good reason for accepting her as your-"

"Please," Bubblegum interrupted with a huff. "We both know the reason was because she's a woman, so I can't have children that will come back for his precious throne."

Rainicorn took a deep breath, like she always did before giving advice. "My lady… don't let this all tear you down. But please don't let it blow you up either."

"What do you mean?" Bubblegum looked at her.

"I mean," Rainicorn spoke more firmly, "keep your temper in check so you can react and control the situation as needed. You may be used to people following you without question but now you'll need to fight to be taken seriously."

Bubblegum's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you saying that I'm no better than these people, washed up in my self-importance?"

"The sooner you accept that you are not so different, the better off you will be," Rainicorn said before standing and exiting the room.

Bubblegum sat in her chair, shocked. Rainicorn had never chastised her so much and so blatantly as in the last few days. Accept that she was no better than these people? Of course she was better; she took her responsibility seriously and didn't act as if it was a role she had to play. She didn't make fools of people for appearing in dirty clothes on accident.

Bubblegum sat quietly for the rest of the preparations as the handmaidens crowded around her to add the finishing touches. The sheer weight of this burden seemed to make her shoulders heavier than ever, making her slump in her chair.

* * *

Marceline stared at herself in the mirror. She wore the white version of her military suit, which looked like a normal suit with the addition of epaulettes, a few pins, and a half-cloak that attached to her collar. She turned from side to side, frowning at the obtrusions poking off of her shoulders. She felt like she was going to poke someone's eye out with these things.

The door behind her squeaked as it opened, and she looked up to see Hunson walking in the room. He beamed at her in the mirror, standing next to her.

"You look marvelous, my dear," he praised her. "We'll have to get a few good pictures of you alone to sell to the fanizens." Marceline controlled herself, remembering what would happen if Hunson caught her rolling her eyes.

"You haven't spoken to Bubblegum, have you?" he asked, meeting her eyes in the mirror seriously.

"No, father," she reassured him blandly.

"Good girl," he seemed pleased. "Once the wedding's complete, you'll need to inform her of some things…"

Marceline had wanted to talk to Bubblegum before the wedding to tell her what was going on and see if the princess would cooperate and help her. Hunson, however, had insisted otherwise, claiming that Bubblegum might try to cancel the wedding or escape… which would look terrible for their family. He also kept insisting that once the two women were married, they could control her better. It was also his idea to inform the media that the two women had a pleasant relationship, despite it being a total falsehood.

Marceline, on the other hand, didn't want to control Bubblegum for anything. Even at the welcome ceremony mishap, it was obvious to her that Bubblegum could take care of herself in difficult situations. She believed that Bubblegum could even be a great help to them, if they took the time to discuss things with her. Hunson insisted they couldn't take the chance.

Once he finished his new set of instructions, which Marceline was none too happy about, he straightened her collar and left the room with a smile. It was time for the wedding.

Marceline stood behind the curtains of her entrance. They would each enter from opposite sides of the room and walk up the stairs to the center to stand before the master of ceremony. She could hear the hundreds of voices in the ceremony chamber, all fighting each other to be heard. Every member of the royal class, many middle class people with connections, and probably every member of the media would be here in this room today. It was a bit daunting to think about. A bell suddenly chimed one clear note through the room, silencing the voices.

The curtain in front of Marceline pulled open, her cue to begin her assent up the staircase to the dais above. The moment her first step landed, a million flashes of light went off, every camera attempting to get the best possible shot of their favorite subject.

Ignoring the murmur of comments from the mass of spectators, Marceline began her assent up the large stairs in front of her. She knew that Bubblegum would be ascending the opposite side at the same time, but they wouldn't see one another until they reached the top. Marceline was distracted, thinking about the instructions Hunson left her with, when she finally reached the top of the stairs. She looked up, her eyes widening at the image before her.

Princess Bubblegum stood before her, a glorious image of royalty. Her light pink skin was framed by slightly darker hair pulled up in a fashionable bundle of curls held together by a diamond studded net. The curve of her face was accented by her round lips, covered with a deep shade of red. The pearl white dress hugged her body in all the right places, cascading down from her hips like a waterfall. In fact, her whole body seemed to be made of curves without one harsh line in existence. This, however, did not make her look soft or weak. If anything, the unbreakable and unforgiving look of determination on her face made her look rather formidable.

Maceline looked up, meeting Bubblegum's strong eyes. She hadn't realized they'd been staring at one another until the priest cleared his throat for a second time, as they had missed their first cue to turn to him. A soft laugh of appreciation ran through the crowd, and Marceline stared past the priest in slight embarrassment.

The man's speech dragged on as he discussed the purpose and responsibility of a marriage. Marceline barely listened, controlling the urge to look back at Bubblegum again. Finally, the man snapped the book he was holding shut, announcing that it was time to seal the covenant between the two women. They turned to one another, but Bubblegum's eyes were focused solidly on the floor. Marceline noticed the woman's cheeks were a shade darker than before. Perhaps she, too, was embarrassed at having been distracted at the beginning. The thought made Marceline relax a little. Maybe they could laugh this off later as a good memory to start their marriage.

The ambassador Jake appeared at Bubblegum's elbow, offering her a pillow that held a simple silver band with a tiny pink gem set in the metal. The woman took it, glanced up at Marceline once, and then reached for her hand. She repeated the words of the priest as she slid the cold metal onto Marceline's finger. Once it was in place, she raised Marceline's hand and pressed her lips softly against the finger that now held their wedding band as tradition dictated.

Hunson appeared to Marceline's right, holding an identical silver band with a small red gem studded into it. She reached forward, taking Bubblegum's hand in her own, and met the woman's eyes as she repeated the priest's vows of love and loyalty. Once finished, she raised the soft pink hand and pressed her cold lips against the warm flesh around the wedding ring.

"You may now seal the covenant with a kiss," the priest announced.

Marceline took a step towards Bubblegum, simultaneously pulling her forward by the hand she hadn't let go. Bubblegum gave her one last determined stare before raising her head and closing her eyes. Marceline lowered her mouth onto Bubblegum's soft lips. It was an awkward but gentle kiss for both of them, and the audience broke out into appreciative cheering as they separated.

The procession immediately hustled them out of the ceremony hall and into an open carriage outside. They were to ride a parade through the middle class streets, where the fanizens could see them in person. The corners of the carriage in front of them each held a small open flame. Marceline and Bubblegum sat next to each other in the carriage quietly, neither speaking. Marceline only hoped their entire marriage wouldn't be this awkward.

As they passed through the gates into the lower city streets, Marceline frowned. More than half of the fanizens sported black mourning clothes and tears running down their faces. Marceline bit her lip in agitation. Why were the people acting like this?

To her credit, Bubblegum fixed a pleasant smile on her face and began to wave to the people in a friendly manner. Marceline followed her lead as the carriage moved through the city. People began tossing flowers they had prepared to the carriage, calling out greetings and congratulations to the new royal couple. As they approached a particularly dense area of mourning fanizens, however, a large amount of black roses found their way into the carriage. In Nightos, black roses were associated with death and typically only used for funerals. To use them in any fashion on a wedding day was possibly the worst silent insult you could offer.

I have to do something, Marceline realized as a pile of black roses began to collect at Bubblegum's feet. This had gone too far. As Marceline moved to stand, she noticed Bubblegum bending forward to collect the black roses from the bottom of the carriage. Curious, Marceline waited and watched. Once Bubblegum had gathered every offensive flower, she calmly dropped them one by one into the flame on her side of the carriage. Once they were all burned out of existence, she returned to pleasant waving to the masses. Marceline couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. What a way to make a statement.

Once they finished their parade through the lower city, they returned to a royal banquet hall. Bubblegum was allowed to change into a banquet dress, a sparkly light blue gown that caught the evening light well, and the two women were seated together at the head of the room. No one had yet to approach them, and the awkward silence that had hovered their entire wedding continued. Marceline decided she needed to break it, and find something to discuss.

"You look very beautiful," she complimented the princess.

Bubblegum's lips twitched slightly, although whether in amusement or scorn Marceline couldn't tell. "Thank you," she replied. The silence threatened to return before Bubblegum continued, "Why are you in a military uniform?"

"My father, King Hunson, enrolled my brother and me into the military academy when we were young. I took a few extra years of training and graduated as a commanding officer. As an officer graduate, it's become my uniform for official occasions," Marceline answered.

"'Official occasions'," Bubblegum repeated drolly. Marceline frowned. Obviously, she probably shouldn't have regarded their wedding in such a manner. She was surprised when Bubblegum continued. "Why are the uniforms of you and your men different from the regular military?"

"They are my own special force. Some joined me from the academy. Some I trained myself."

"And is it common for a royal princess to join the military?" Bubblegum raised an eyebrow.

"It's common for most women to receive basic combat training for self-preservation, if nothing else, in Nightos," Marceline replied coolly. "The choice of how much training and whether to utilize it as a career is up to the individual."

"So the footman who lead us into the greeting banquet too soon who was taken by your personal military," Bubblegum glanced at her from the side without turning to face her. "What became of him?"

Marceline blinked in surprise. Bubblegum was obviously not the type to shy away from direct confrontation. "He's safe," she replied quietly. She'd allowed her father to believe the man had been properly dealt with after his mistake, but her followers were currently relocating him. Bubblegum didn't need to know the details, especially not in a place where they could easily be overheard.

At last, other royalty began to approach them to offer presents and congratulations, leaving their conversation unfinished. Marceline attempted to introduce everyone to Bubblegum, explaining which families they were all from. It became obvious after a while that Bubblegum did not grasp the idea of multiple royal families, and kept her greetings as simple as possible so as not to call anyone the wrong name.

Eventually, Marceline's younger twin by four minutes came by. Marshall was one of the few people Bubblegum had met before, and seemed to be a little more relaxed around him.

"You are a vision," Marshall complimented her as he bowed over Bubblegum's hand.

"You're too kind," Marceline interrupted drily.

"Sister," Marshall turned his innocent smile towards her. "Surely you aren't jealous? Fine," he took Marceline's hand and bowed over it as well. "You also look very important next to your gorgeous wife."

Marceline would have offered a snarky comment in return, but Bubblegum actually laughed. Marshall grinned at them. "I would stay and chat, but Hunson is trying to introduce me to a few mothers with single children that need spouses. So I think I will make my escape," he waved over his shoulder as headed for a side door. Marceline watched him go; not paying attention to the next group of people that approached them.

A shocked gasp from Bubblegum brought Marceline's attention forward to see the ambassadors from the Peppermint Advisory approaching them. She frowned. These people had shown up a few months before, claiming to be "advisors in all matters concerning running a country". She didn't trust them as far as she could throw them, and neither did Hunson. Nevertheless, he had allowed a group of ambassadors to stay in Nightos as a show of goodwill. Some of the royalty listened to what they had to say, but Marceline ignored them. She glanced at Bubblegum, whose body had gone rigid as a sweat broke out on her forehead.

Marceline glared at the Peppermint representatives that had obviously upset Bubblegum somehow. They simply offered their congratulations, a gift of their self-designated famous wine, and went on their way. They knew of Marceline's dislike for them. Once they were gone, Marceline leaned towards Bubblegum worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Bubblegum whispered back, her voice sounding angry. "It's nothing."

Marceline glanced around. Their visitors had stopped approaching for now, leaving them in silence. Deciding to change the subject to help Bubblegum get over whatever was bothering her, Marceline smiled. "You know, you handled the fanizens pretty well today. I think most royalty would have caused a scene and gone on a rampage if fanizens had been so rude to them on their wedding day."

"I'm not here to use scare tactics or overpower anyone. But I will also not allow myself to be trampled on so easily," Bubblegum responded seriously.

Marceline opened her mouth to reply, but was promptly interrupted by a drunk announcement by King Hunson. "Ladies and gentlemen," the king slurred happily. "I believe it is time for the wedding night festivities! Let's see our happy couple off to their room shall we?"

As people began to cheer, Marceline grimaced. Leave it to her father to make a big deal about such a thing. Marceline stood and offered her hand to Bubblegum, who took it and stood with her. Together they walked towards the exit hall, first approaching King Hunson for his blessing. As he stooped to kiss his adopted daughter's forehead, he passed her a piece of paper. "Make sure they get the message," he whispered to her, and sent them on their way.

Next, they approached Sir Jake and Lady Rainicorn to receive their blessing in place of Bubblegum's absent brother. As the two ambassadors hugged Bubblegum, Marceline looked down at the paper in her hand and frowned as she read the message.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Marceline said as Bubblegum returned to stand next to her. "But I'm afraid I've just received word from King Gumball in the Candy Kingdom. He requests his international advisors return immediately. He suggests leaving the first morning after you've received this message, which would be... tomorrow." She offered the letter to Jake, who looked over it with a frown.

"I don't understand," Lady Rainicorn looked over her husband's shoulder at the letter. "We were given leave to stay in order to help the princess and begin talks with King Hunson..."

Jake spoke up, "Gumball says there has been new correspondence from the Flame Kingdom. He says he needs our council urgently."

"Has something happened with Finn and Flame Princess?" Bubblegum asked worriedly.

"It doesn't say," Jake folded the letter and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Jake can return," Rainicorn announced. "I'll stay a few more days."

"No, we can't ignore any request from an ally," Bubblegum overruled her friend. "I'll be fine. The girls will help me settle in."

Marceline took a deep breath, hating what she was about to do. But Hunson had been clear on his orders earlier that day. "Actually, I'm going to have to insist that the guards and handmaidens who accompanied you return with Lord Jake and Lady Rainicorn."

The three Candy people were silent as they stared at her in shock. Rainicorn was the first to speak. "You can't be serious?"

"You can't expect-" Bubblegum began to argue, but Marceline interrupted.

"There will be no more discussion. All other members of your party are to return to their home tomorrow." Marceline took Bubblegum's hand in her own, pulling her down the hall as they exited to the sound of applause and cheers from the crowd. At the end of the hall, Marceline tugged Bubblegum closer to her, although the woman struggled a bit.

"Hold on," Marceline ordered, lifting them both into the air. The flew swiftly through the night sky, gliding over gardens and other estates before they finally landed on one of the upper floor balconies in Marceline's personal home.

As soon as they landed Bubblegum shoved Marceline away from her. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded angrily.

"Excuse me?" Marceline asked, following Bubblegum into the room.

"Sending my guards and handmaidens home without reason! What right do you have?" the princess demanded.

"You're a part of my house now," Marceline informed her, using the excuse Hunson had instructed her to say. "Under my protection. I will see to your care and safety."

"I don't need your patronage!" Bubblegum actually yelled at her, her face turning a darker shade of pink in anger. "I have my own for a reason!"

"I will assign you new guards and maidens tomorrow," Marceline tried to reassure her.

"I already had them! This is just a farce to make me dependent on you, to further increase your image, isn't it?"

"No," Marceline answered quickly, although she began to wonder if that had been Hunson's plan all along. "Bubblegum, I can help you. I'll protect-"

"That's _Princess_ Bubblegum to you. You don't care about my welfare. You've cut me off from anything familiar. At this point, I'm not better than a political hostage!" Bubblegum picked up a pillow and threw it at Marceline.

Dodging the pillow easily, Marceline took a step towards Bubblegum and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Princess..."

Bubblegum shoved her away, moving to the other side of the room. "Get away from me! I have no intention of ever being physical or friendly with you at all."

Marceline felt the last of her patience break, her eyebrows furrowing in anger as her eyes began to glow a deadly red. "Do you really think I couldn't overpower you if I wanted?"

The glare that Bubblegum sent her was so full of hatred and determination it actually surprised Marceline. "I will fight you to my dying breath if you dare try."

The two women stared at each other in silence for a few moments. The horrifying realization of what she had just said to Bubblegum settled into Marceline's mind. Just like Hunson, she had resorted to violence and threats. And now she had made Bubblegum hate her, which would just make everything even more difficult from now on.

Marceline's voice was void of emotion when she finally spoke. "Get some sleep, Princess Bubblegum. You'll have to wake early to see your friends off." She turned and floated out the door and into the hallway. The sound of something heavy smashing into the door and shattering behind her made her jump.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I don't really have anything to say. This chapter's a bit shorter, and maybe you'll think it's boring but I feel like it's kind of important.

**Bitter Sugar Chapter 3**

* * *

Princess Bubblegum smashed the buttons on the remote control of the holosphere, not paying attention to any of the sounds coming out of the bright images.

"... mysterious illness racking the lower city. Multiple deaths have been reported, but..."

"... The WhyWolf Countess has expressed interest in building a new hospital that..."

"... fanizens are pleading with King Hunson for help. He's responded that the best scientists are already..."

"... is Princess Bubblegum? It's been weeks since her wedding to Lady Marceline, and no one has seen even a glimpse of pink!"

Bubblegum frowned. Turning off the holosphere angrily, she stood with a huff and headed out the door of her bedroom. She was sick of all this nonsensical drabble.

Turning left at the end of the hallway, she came to a halt as a guard stepped into her path. "Where are you headed princess?"

"Somewhere," she responded tartly, moving past the man.

She had most of the halls memorized already. They were currently living in one of the Vampire Clan's houses, the one that Marceline owned. Every royal family had their own section of land in the royal society as well as property somewhere else in Nightos. The Vampire Clan's society land held seven different houses, but only two were lived in and staffed, one for Marceline and one for Marshall. Bubblegum had found that the lands the Vampire's ruled outside of the capitol were in the moutains near the shared border with the Candy Kingdom and Ice Kingdom.

Most of the other royalty inside the walls of the Society seemed insatiably base. Bubblegum had been invited to tea or brunch a few times. She accepted often enough to be polite, but otherwise she feigned exhaustion from the new environment. When she did attend, the conversation inevitably turned to Marceline. No one seemed to understand why Bubblegum became instantaneously uninterested in anything having to do with her wife.

Bubblegum had found that there were basically two types of people amongst the royalty. The type that gained popularity for the sake of being popular and revered by the masses, and the type that garnered popularity for the sake of gaining political power. She noticed that only the former ever approached her, indicating yet again that she was intended to do nothing but sit back, be silent, and be a well-kept house wife.

Every family seemed to have more than enough members to fulfill both roles, except for the Vampire Clan. For some reason, Marceline and Marshall were the only two of the family she had seen, and no one would explain to her why they were "adopted" by King Hunson, of the Demon Clan. It was a mystery she had yet to find answers to.

"Princess Bubblegum," one of the handmaidens that followed her interrupted her thoughts. "Excuse me, but, where might we be going?"

"Where ever we end up," she snapped back, picking up her pace.

This was another problem- these damned handmaidens and guards she had been assigned. First of all, there were far too many of them. Almost ten maidens and over twenty guards that constantly changed shifts. Second of all, they never ever left her alone. At least three maidens insisted on sleeping on the floor of her bedroom every night. They even stood outside of the door to the water closet in case the dear lady break a nail while wiping her own bum.

Bubblegum had never felt so utterly alone and constantly overrun with attention at the same time before. She consistently asked for any news from her brother or other Candy Kingdom friends, but was always assured there was nothing.

The only time the maidens disappeared was when Marceline came to visit. She dropped in every few days under the guise of visiting her new wife, but the two never interacted or spoke. A few times, the Vampiress had left out the window immediately after arriving, giving Bubblegum a few precious moments alone until the maidens reappeared. Bubblegum didn't quite understand until she realized that it was all probably made to look like loving conjugal visits for any onlookers. The thought made her frown in distaste.

She allowed her thoughts to drift to other worries, like her friends. Bubblegum had been allowed to see them off a few weeks ago, although it was a quick and tearful farewell. During her last hug with Rainicorn, she had quickly whispered news of the presence of the Peppermint Advisory in Nightos. She'd yet to receive any correspondence from Rainicorn or the others, but surely they would contact her if something serious had happened.

Bubblegum stopped in front of a pair of double glass doors, the entrance to the gardens that wove through the Vampire Clan's estates. Bubblegum requested the handmaidens to wait by the entrance as she entered the flowering path. Before she could even take two steps however, the women were quick to deny her request.

"I'm only going to walk the path in the immediate area," she snapped, hands on her hips.

"It's too dangerous to let you out of our sight, Princess," the maiden with the whiniest voice entreated.

"That's nonsense," Bubblegum practically hissed. "I've been sitting in this house for weeks and I haven't even been attacked by a bug."

"What if just one of us went?" the youngest of the group offered.

Bubblegum was about to retort that one was one too many when a familiar voice called out behind them.

"Good day," Marshall beamed a fanged smile at the group of ladies as he floated over. Bubblegum glanced up to the sky. As usual, Nightos was covered by a thick layer of grey clouds, allowing the Vampire access to the outside world for the day. "What's this commotion I hear?"

"I merely wished to walk through the gardens alone for a few moments," Bubblegum informed him, glaring at her handmaidens.

Marshall followed the direction of her stare with his cool smile. "Perhaps you'd like to accompany me? I've just had a midday snack prepared at the river bank. Lovely maidens, surely you can trust me to look out for my own sister-in-law?" he grinned at the group of ladies.

Somewhat reluctantly, the women finally agreed to release Bubblegum from their grasp. She walked next to Marshall's floating figure in silence until they were far enough away that the maiden's wouldn't hear them.

"Thank you," she sighed. "I can never get them to leave me alone for even a few seconds."

Marshall chuckled happily. "No problem. Although, you've been here over three weeks now. You'd think they'd stop worrying at least a little."

"Yes, well... It seems I'm still a threat. Or I attract too much danger. I'm not sure which."

Marshall didn't reply as they rounded a corner, reaching the lunch he'd had prepared. He floated ahead of her, picking up the edges of a large picnic blanket and shaking it out over the grass. He invited her to sit as he landed on the opposite side of the blanket and began to pour drinks. Bubblegum settled on the soft fabric, her dress fanning out around her in all directions, watching the small river pass by.

She accepted the glass he offered her with thanks, watching as he laid out a plate of miniature sausages, cheeses, and crackers. Marshall picked up a block of cheese, tossed it into his mouth and began to chew happily.

Bubblegum took a sip from the glass absently, frowning as the liquid hit her tongue. She swallowed then smacked her lips a few times. "This tastes... strange."

"Strange?" Marshall replied through a second block of cheese.

"Is this grape juice? Or... wine?" she asked, sniffing it. "It seems like there's something else in it?" The extra taste lingered on her tongue, almost reminding her of home, but it was just different enough to feel foreign at the same time.

Marshall laughed as he raised his own drink to his lips. "Well... the truth is, I made this juice myself! It's kind of a new hobby of mine, so I haven't really worked out the kinks. I tried mixing in a few new ingredients..." he wrinkled his nose in worry. "If you don't like it, I can fetch another."

"Oh, no," Bubblegum waved her hand emphatically. "Its fine," she took another sip, not wanting to be rude to her wife's brother. She glanced over as Marshall took another block of cheese. "Can... you actually eat those?"

Marshall grinned at her as he munched on a cracker. "I don't get any nourishment from things like this of course, but I still enjoy the taste. I'm no different than Marceline."

"Oh," was all Bubblegum said as she took another sip, looking back at the river.

"I suppose... my sister hasn't been very forthcoming with such details?" he asked softly.

"We don't talk much," Bubblegum answered. She frowned. Why had she admitted that?

"I see. So she just... bites and flies?" Marshall swooped one of his hands in a flying motion.

"No?" Bubblegum furrowed her brows. What was he talking about?

"I see," he said again, taking a sip of his own juice. "It must be rather difficult. I'm not sure I quite agree with my sister's treatment of you, to be honest."

Bubblegum turned to look at him in surprise. "She's done nothing cruel."

"Oh, no," he said assuredly with a smile. "She's not the type for cruelty. Well, I guess... if it were me I wouldn't lock you away in my house being constantly under watch by your handmaidens and guards." He shrugged.

Unable to argue with the observation, Bubblegum continued to sip her juice. It wasn't so bad, the more she drank.

"It seems a bit strange," he continued nonchalantly, "not to allow you access to the current discussions about the new treaty. King Gumball has not been shy in his correspondence."

Bubblegum's head shot up instantly. "Correspondence?"

"Hadn't you heard? The council meets often to discuss the contents of his telegrams."

"I was told there'd been no word from my brother," Bubblegum answered through grit teeth.

"Oh, there have been plenty of words," Marshall seemed amused. "He's quite taken with Nightos' army. It seems he seeks our help to strike the Ice Kingdom before they can strike us again."

"What!" she almost shrieked. "That's lunacy! There hasn't been a peep out of the Ice Kingdom since the last war. There's no reason to start a new one over nothing!"

Marshall regarded her strangely for a moment, as if his eyes had gone dead. He blinked, and then he was smiling again. "You seem to know what you're talking about. It must be awfully frustrating for you. If it were me, I would be rather incensed at being tucked away out of sight while others do work. Perhaps you should talk to Marceline about it? She could take you to the meetings."

"Perhaps I shall," Bubblegum said darkly, glaring ahead but seeing nothing.

Once all the cheese was gone, Marshall floated up above her. "We should probably get you back before your maidens start to worry."

Bubblegum followed the prince out of the garden silently, offering no comment on the flowers he pointed out. Once they were within sight of the handmaidens, but still out of earshot, Marshall turned to her. "If you ever need anything, princess, please feel free to come to me."

Bubblegum blinked at him. "Thank you, Marshall."

When they approached, the group of handmaidens made quite a scene of exclaiming their relief to have Bubblegum back in one piece. The headache that had begun to plague her only grew as they continued to express how worried they'd been. The headache only spurred her anger further. Halfway back to her rooms, she ordered one of them to summon Marceline.

Bubblegum flung herself onto her couch, staring at the ceiling. An hour passed as she waited, listening to the handmaidens chat about nonsense that just increased her bad mood. Finally she sat up. "What is taking so long?" she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else, but that didn't stop the handmaidens from answering.

"Oh, Lady Marceline is very busy."

"Yes, she's always working hard to help and protect the fanizens, so she doesn't have much free time."

"Princess Bubblegum, you're rather lucky she always makes time to come visit you. I hear many political figure wives don't get to see their spouses half as much."

"Although, it's really understandable if you miss her!"

The handmaidens were giggling as if they'd told some kind of joke, but Bubblegum simply couldn't take it anymore.

"Shut up!" she yelled, standing from the couch and glaring at them. "I'm sick of hearing your mindless worship of her! Shut up!"

The handmaidens had backed away, obviously shocked by the princess's words. Bubblegum was about to try her luck at leaving the room without being followed when the door opened and none other than Marceline floated in. "What's all the commotion about?" the Vampiress looked around confused.

"Oh, look," Bubblegum propped her hands on her hips, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "My doting wife, finally come to pay me attention and not just pretend for her precious fans. I hope my summons hasn't hurt your image!"

Marceline stared across the room at her silently before requesting the handmaidens to leave the room. Once the two women were alone, Marceline glared at her. "What is this about?"

"This is about how you have not only been lying to me, but have kept me sequestered away from the rest of the world like some embarrassing secret!" Bubblegum accused heatedly.

Marceline snorted. "Sequestered? You've had nothing but the opportunity to do whatever you like since the wedding."

"Wow," Bubblegum's voice was flat. "You really think that by treating me like a pet, fed and clothed in this cage of a house, that you are doing me some sort of favor? How self-righteous can you get?"

"Cage?" Marceline was obviously confused. "I merely do not wish for you to travel anywhere unescorted. The handmaidens were instructed to accompany you to where ever you wanted to go."

"Right," Bubblegum rolled her eyes. "Which is why every time I've gotten within ten feet of an exit they've dissolved into a tizzy about how unsafe it is outside and I should wait for my strong, powerful wife to come escort me herself.

"Let me tell you something," Bubblegum continued, pointing at her spouse. "I don't appreciate you patronizing me. I don't appreciate you lying to me about my brother's correspondence, when my entire purpose here is to serve as a political representative for my home country. I don't appreciate you locking me away in your fancy house, hiding me from the world. If you expect me to sit still and follow your orders you have another thing coming!"

Bubblegum barely stopped for a breath, her anger spurring her on without pausing to think. "And I really don't appreciate you assigning those wretched excuses for handmaidens to spy on me while babysitting! I don't know what low-class sewer you had to dredge through to find them, but they are absolutely insufferable!"

"Enough!" Marceline snapped, raising her voice for the first time since they'd met. "How dare you? You expect me to take you seriously as a diplomat when you can't even treat your own handmaidens with a bit of decency?"

Bubblegum opened her mouth to argue, but Marceline cut her off. "You don't care about them or anyone else in this country, because they're not your precious, beautiful, infallible candy people. Here's a newsflash princess: You're in the real world now. It's not all sugar and cotton candy and beautiful people bowing at your feet. It is war and survival and making sacrifices to help the population of people you've never met face to face."

"You think I don't care about the people?" Bubblegum's voice rose in offense.

"You don't care about Nightos' people," Marceline accused. "If you could be bothered to realize that the citizens of Nightos are just as important as your Candy devotees, maybe I would bother to inquire your opinion on political matters."

Bubblegum didn't respond, so Marceline continued. "You owe those women an apology- a real one. That is if you ever see them again. As of today, I am terminating their service to you and you can serve yourself."

Marceline moved to leave, but turned back at the last moment. "Who told you about your brother's correspondence?"

Bubblegum's mind felt muddled as she tried to think. Rather than bother to remember, she simply glared at Marceline. "What do you care?"

Marceline closed the last of the distance between them, reaching out to grab Bubblegum's chin and tilt her face up. She stared down into the princess's eyes, searching for something. Bubblegum mysteriously felt her mind begin to clear, allowing her to jerk away from the Vampiress's grip. "Don't touch me."

Marceline gave her one last look of disdain before leaving the room without another word.

Bubblegum felt her anger dissipate almost immediately, leaving her winded and exhausted. It was as if the anger had never been hers to begin with, as if it had just inhabited her body for a while. Why had she confronted Marceline in such a manner? Obviously conflict wasn't going to solve anything or make it easier. And why had she said such terrible things about the handmaidens... sure they were annoying but she hadn't meant to insult them.

If she had any of her usual lab equipment from home, she could run tests on herself... check blood pressure, run tests for any infections... but that wasn't going to happen.

Grabbing a large notepad and pen from the nearby table, Bubblegum curled up and began taking notes of everything that had happened after recording her pulse rate.

* * *

Marceline took a moment to compose herself before she walked down to the library where the handmaidens waited. Once she had listened to their report of everything that had happened that day, she informed them that they would no longer be working in the service of Princess Bubblegum. A few looked distraught until Marceline assured them she would find them safe work. Once they finished thanking her, Marceline excused herself and closed the door behind her.

"Kovmir," she summoned her corporal. When he appeared at her side, she spoke quietly. "Get blood samples from them and kindly question them as to why they never allowed the Princess to leave the premises."

"Yes, my lady," he replied, crossing his chest with a fist in a salute. "Will you be returning to the military discussions?"

"I think I'll pay a visit to my brother first," she said, floating down the hall. The handmaidens had informed her of Marshall's visit earlier that day.

Being from the same clan, they lived on the same property but in different homes. It was only the two of them, so there was more than enough room with seven giant houses. It gave the area a desolate and haunted feeling. A servant greeted her in the front waiting room and informed her that Marshall was in his personal study on the second floor. Marceline floated there.

As soon as she was through the door, Marshall was grinning at her from his desk. "Big sister! What a surprise visit. I say, you do not stop by often enough."

Marceline considered the situation as she greeted her brother and took a spot on the couch. Although they were not exactly close, Marshall had never treated her poorly or rudely, nor she him. While he was popular in his own way among the fanizens, he had expressed no overt desire to gain any power in Nightos as a political figure or ruler. At the very least, he never registered as a threat to anyone.

"Marshall," she began, crossing one long leg over the other. "A bird told me that you spent time with my wife in the gardens today."

"Aw, Marcy," he used her childhood nickname, floating over to the armchair across from her. "Are you jealous? I swear I held no other intention than to get to know my new sister-in-law. You've kept her so holed up from the world, I was beginning to wonder if she actually existed!" he laughed.

"She seemed a bit estranged when I visited just now. I was curious as to what you discussed with her," Marceline stared at him, unblinking.

Marshall met her stare, his smile fading. "Well, Marcy, I hate to say this but it's not exactly difficult to see why she would be estranged when you've kept her under lock and key... except for those few gossip parties she's been invited to, of course. A woman of her intellect is not fit for such a life, I believe."

Marceline raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Her intellect?"

"Surely you've heard, sister?" he crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. "All you have to do is research the last twenty years of the Candy Kingdom to find mention of her work. I'm surprised the fanizens aren't all over it already. I suppose they're still hung up on being able to see her in person."

Silence fell between them and Marceline had the suspicion that she was being judged. Finally Marshall spoke again.

"I suspect the idea to omit her from any international proceedings was not yours?" He poured a glass of juice and offered her the cup.

Marceline waved the cup away, denying the offer. "I don't know what you mean."

"Well maybe you should consider standing up to that man's orders. He treats you like a dog," Marshall set the glass of juice on the table between them with a startling sound.

"Do not speak of our father that way," Marceline warned him.

"He is NOT our father. He's our sponsor. If he truly expected nothing in return for his patronage, he wouldn't demand these things from you."

Silence returned, the siblings staring at one another determinedly. Marceline hated that this is how all their conversations ended up going. It may be easy for Marshall, since he made it clear he had no ambition from a young age. But Hunson had then placed all his ambition and expectations on Marceline. Failure wasn't an option, and he made sure she knew that.

Marshall pushed the juice towards her again, his smile returning. "Won't you try it? I made it myself."

Marceline sighed and grabbed the cup, bringing it to her lips. As soon as the liquid hit her tongue, she grimaced. "What is this?"

Her brother smiled sheepishly. "Those Peppermint Advisory fellows have been teaching me how to make juice and wine, but I'm afraid I'm not as good at it as they are. I tend to offer one of the juices they've made when I want to make an impression, since it tastes so much better." He took a sip of his own juice and grimaced similarly to his sister. "I haven't quite figured it out, I suppose."

Marceline set the glass on the table and stood to leave. "My apologies for bothering you, brother," she said drolly.

"You never bother me," he said earnestly, floating over behind her. "You're my sister. I cherish your visits."

Marceline eyed her brother carefully. For some reason, she felt like she truly believed him. Perhaps they weren't close, but they were still each other's only true family. "Till next time then," she said a bit more warmly, clasping his shoulder.

When she approached the door, Marshall called out to her. "Marceline... you don't have to like the Candy Princess. If anyone has that right, it would be our family. If I'd been forced to marry her..." he shrugged. "The point is, you don't have to like her. But keeping her locked up isn't the answer either."

Marceline looked over her shoulder at him evenly. "Thank you, Marshall."

He smiled at her. "Anytime, dear sister."

Marceline left the premises, considering her brother's words. As she approached the window of her personal bedroom on the third floor, she summoned Kovmir. He appeared on the balcony after a moment.

"Take a blood sample from me and run it with the same tests as the others," she ordered.

"My Lady?" the man sounded surprised. "I thought you just went to speak to your brother?"

"I did," she said, rolling up her sleeve and thinking of the disgusting juice. "And that is why you need to search for that foreign agent in my blood that we've found in everyone else we've questioned."

"Yes, milady," Kovmir nodded, removing the small case that carried a pack of clean syringes from his jacket.


End file.
